title: A CBPR partnership increases HIV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM): outcome findings from a pilot test of the CyBER/testing internet intervention.
abstract: The Internet has emerged as an important tool for the delivery of health promotion and disease prevention interventions. Our community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership developed and piloted CyBER/testing, a culturally congruent intervention designed to promote HIV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM) within existing Internet chat rooms. Using a quasi-experimental, single-group study design, cross-sectional data were collected from chat room participants, known as "chatters," at pretest (n = 346) and posttest (n = 315). Extant profile data also were collected to describe the demographics of the online population. The intervention significantly increased self-reported HIV testing among chatters overall, increasing rates from 44.5% at pretest to nearly 60% at posttest (p < .001). Furthermore, chatters who reported having both male and female sexual partners had nearly 6 times the odds of reporting HIV testing at posttest. Findings suggest that chat room-based HIV testing intervention may increase testing among MSM who may be difficult to reach in traditional physical spaces.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA. srhodes@wfubmc.edu
authors.forename: Scott D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Rhodes
authors.forename: Aaron T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Vissman
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stowers
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: McCoy
authors.forename: Kenneth C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Hergenrather
authors.forename: Aimee M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wilkin
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reece
authors.forename: Laura H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Bachmann
authors.forename: Addison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ore
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hendrix
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eng
mesh_terms: D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000523:psychology; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054521:Cultural Competency; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012309:Risk-Taking; D055815:Young Adult